Toothpick dispenser



June 23, 1936. J. L. YOUNG TOOTHPICK DISPENSER Filed Jan. 16, 1935 John L. You/023 Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic dispenser for dispensing tooth picks and the like.

The main object of the invention is to provide an automatic dispenser for dispensing tooth picks in a sanitary manner.

Another object of the invention is to guide the tooth picks down a chute and regulate the output of the dispenser.

A still further object of the invention is to facilitate the dispensing of the tooth picks by vibrating the magazine and thus preventing the tooth picks from caking.

Other objects will appear as the disclosure progresses. The drawing is intended to merely indicate a possible embodiment of the invention. It is obvious that the actual needs of manufacture may necessitate certain mechanical changes. It is therefore not intended to limit the embodiment of the invention illustrated but rather to define such limits in the appended claims. For a more general understanding of the invention attention is called to the drawing in which 7 Figure 1 is a sectional View of the tooth pick dispenser.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a modified form of the dispenser.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the dispenser illustrated in Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, numeral l designates the casing, 2 the magazine and 3 the chute. The casing is provided with a removable cover 4 and an inner shoulder 5 for supporting the magazine. The upper portion 6 of the lower end of the chute is hinged as at 1 and is provided with a downwardly bent lip 8 resting on the lower portion 9 of the chute. Attached to the interior of the chute is a rigid guide 10 for gradually forming the mass of tooth picks into one layer so the output of the magazine can be regulated. In the interior of the casing is a plunger II for operating the hinged portion 6 of the chute. The bottom of the plunger is linked to a lever I 2 fulcrumed on the vertical post l3. The outward end Id of the lever is bent upwardly and is connected to the hinged end 6 of the chute. Numeral I 6 designates a set of springs for normally keeping the hinged end 6 of the chute in a closed position. When the plunger H is pressed down against the compression spring [5 the end M of the lever will uplift the hinged portion 6 of the chute and allow the tooth picks [5a to slide down the inclined lower portion 9 of the chute where they can be picked up. When the lever is released the springs I 6 will shut the hinged portion 6 and the flow of tooth picks will stop.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 3, numeral I! designates the casing, l8 the magazine and I9 the chute. The casing is provided 5 with a removable top cover 20 and an inner shoulder 2| for supporting the magazine. Both the upper and lower walls 22 and 23 of the chute are hinged to the magazine by the hinges 24 and 25 respectively. Attached to the end of the wall 10 22 by the hinge 26 is a swinging element 21. Numeral 28 designates a plunger for operating the chute, 29 the spring for normally keeping the plunger in an upper position and 30 the inclined tray for collecting the tooth picks. Beneath the 15 chute are two compression springs 3| and 32.

The operation of this form of the invention is as follows:

The tooth picks 33 contained in the magazine when reaching the downwardly sloping portion 20 34 at the end of the wall 22 will separate into one layer and stop at the wall 35 of the element 27. When the plunger 28 is pressed down the hinged chute will swing down against the springs 3| and 32 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5 25 and the swinging element 21 will catch on the shoulder 36 and hold said element in a suspended position and thereby permit the tooth picks to leave the chute. When the plunger is released the chute will swing up and the element 30 2'! will swing down thus stopping the flow of tooth picks. From the above description it will be apparent that the swinging element 2! acts as a valve to shut off or admit the tooth picks to enter the tray 30. The vibration due to the up and 35 down movement of the chute caused by the operation of the plunger will at the same time keep the mass of tooth picks loose and prevent their caking thus allowing them to flow out smoothly and evenly.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a sanitary tooth pick dispenser which is simple in construction and efiicient in operation. The rate of flow and the amount of tooth picks dispensed at one time is uniformly'regulated.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a casing, a magazine for holding tooth picks in said casing, a chute, said chute being hinged to said magazine, a plunger for vibrating said chute, a tray at 50 the termination of said chute for collecting said tooth picks, said chute comprising upper and lower wall members, a swinging element attached to said upper wall member, said element adapted to admit the tooth picks in said tray when raised 55 up and to shut off the supply when moved downwardly.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing, a magazine for holding tooth picks in said casin a chute, said chute being hinged to said magazine, a plunger for vibrating said chute, a tray at the termination of said chute for collecting said tooth picks, said chute comprising upper and lower wall members, the said upper and lower wall members being hinged to the lower end of said magazine for up and down movement relative to said magazine, a swinging element attached to said upper wall member, said element adapted to admit the tooth picks in said tray when raised up and to shut off the supply when moved downwardly.

JOHN L. YOUNG. 

